Career barriers for women in surgery.
Surgeon
; 20(5): 275-283, 2022 Oct.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1597846
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Despite the increasing numbers of female medical students, surgery remains male-dominated.PURPOSE:
To highlight the principal career obstacles experienced by aspiring female surgeons.METHODS:
A narrative review of literature on the position and career barriers of female surgeons has been conducted, using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. MAINFINDINGS:
Implicit and even explicit biases against female surgeons remain prevalent, negatively impacting their training performance and overall professional trajectory. Female surgeons are globally underrepresented in leadership positions and senior academic rankings, especially that of a full professor. They feel hampered by lack of effective mentorship, whose value for a successful career has been acknowledged by all medical students, surgeons and surgical leaders. Their work-life imbalance is sometimes expressed as lower likelihood than their male contemporaries of getting married or having children and may be attributed to their conventional association with the role of caretaker, their personal desire to accommodate occupational and family duties and the inadequate implementation of parental leave and childcare policies. Female surgeons' "infertility" may be further explained by direct and indirect pregnancy-related difficulties. Female surgeons are also financially undercompensated compared to their male contemporaries. Finally, specialty-specific challenges should not be overlooked.CONCLUSIONS:
While encouraging steps have been made, women in surgery feel still hindered by various obstacles. The qualitative, interview-based nature of current literature requires more meticulous studies on these barriers with a more quantitative and objective approach. Attenuation of gender imbalance in surgical specialties requires further changes in mentality and more targeted modifications in relevant policies.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Physicians, Women
/
Specialties, Surgical
/
General Surgery
/
Surgeons
Type of study:
Qualitative research
/
Reviews
Limits:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Pregnancy
Language:
English
Journal:
Surgeon
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.surge.2021.11.008
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS